GURRUMUL

‘The Gospel Album’

Extraordinary collection of gospel songs

Released Friday 31st July 2015

On Skinnyfish Music/MVKA

"This is one of the most unusual and emotional and musical voices I've ever heard.” Quincy Jones 2015

‘Australia’s most important voice’, indigenous artist Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu, will release his third studio album, The Gospel Album, on 31st July 2015. Gurrumul’s dedication to his mother and aunts, who brought him up with songs and lullabies from the church at Elcho Island, was the inspiration for the new album.

As a small boy Gurrumul was not only influenced by the traditional music of his clan but by the gospel music he heard every Sunday at the local Methodist church. Gurrumul’s The Gospel Album is a re-imagining of the spiritual songs that came to north-east Arnhem Land via Christian missionaries.

In a musical setting that will be familiar to fans of Gurrumul’s music, comes a uniquely indigenous approach to gospel songs with an expanded sound that combines new hymns, and reimagined gospel songs of his Elcho Island community.

Discussing the creation of The Gospel Album, Gurrumul’s long-time collaborator, Michael Hohnen said, “The process we took for the making of this album was very organic. We worked with Gurrumul for a little pre-production of any Gospel songs that he knew or remembered. We entered the studios not knowing what would come out, but we did know that inside Gurrumul’s mind and memory was a body of work that had never been revealed before to mainstream audiences. 

The studio sessions were musical, improvisational and pure in their exploration of creating music, rather than recording in a predetermined way.  Outcomes were unknown until we recorded them!”

The Gospel Album track listing is as follows:

1. 1.       Jesu
2. 2.       Trinity
3. 3.       Nhaku Limurr
4. 4.       All God’s Children (Yo Djamarrkuli)
5. 5.       Baptism
6. 6.       Garray Jesu (My Lord)
7. 7.       Hallelujah
8. 8.       Walu (Time)
9. 9.       Saviour
10. 10.   Amazing Grace

Gurrumul’s life is music and in the studio he feels at home, inspired and energetic. The Gospel Album is a fitting companion to his previous platinum-selling albums – 2009’s Gurrumul and its 2011 follow-up Rrakala.

With the completion of The Gospel Album recording sessions, Gurrumul embarked on a US tour through April and early May, playing five dates from New York to California, including two dates in New Orleans generating glowing reviews.

In addition to being a hugely respected artist in his native Australia, Gurrumul is also adored and revered by musical legends such as Quincy Jones, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and will.i.am. Gurrumul sings almost exclusively in his tribal Gumatj dialect, spoken by no more than 3000 people, yet he conveys to a wide audience of all cultures an intensity of feeling that breaks hearts while at the same time, floods his listeners with joy. It doesn't matter if the words are not understood; it is an innate language that transcends language barriers, changing the way people listen to and experience music.

Gurrumul The Gospel Album released Friday 31st July on Skinnyfish Music/MVKA